Mother's Day
by Junebugsm
Summary: Stef and Callie have a heart to heart on their first Mother's Day as mother and daughter.


**Stef and Callie have a heart to heart on their first Mother's Day as mother and daughter.**

(Just a one shot of Stef and the old Callie - not the new, bratty one on the show. And for the sake of this story let's just say that the last Mother's Day happened just before Callie came to live with the Fosters.)

* * *

The day had gone fairly well Callie thought. All the kids had stayed home and hung out with their moms. Callie, Mariana and Jude had made them breakfast in bed and then the two older boys took on the task of washing both their cars - a task that very rarely got done. Then the whole family had climbed into Stef and Lena's bed as each one gave their moms their gifts.

In the afternoon everyone sort of dispersed for a while. Even on a special day like this they all needed some time to themselves. The evening once again brought the whole family together in the kitchen making dinner. Mariana put on some music as Stef and Lena delegated tasks for a simple pasta dish with a salad and some chocolate pudding and soon everyone began to tell stories. It started with previous mother's day celebrations and moved on to other stories of them as kids and then the moms told a couple of their own.

It was only after the pudding was setting in the fridge and Lena was draining out the pasta that Stef noticed her oldest daughter was missing.

"Fancy some company?" Stef asked when she finally found Callie sitting on the porch swing, gently rocking herself with her foot.

"Sure." Callie answered and moved over a bit to make room. "Did you have a good mother's day?" She asked with a smile.

"I did." Stef assured. "How about you?" She questioned back.

Callie looked up at her in confusion as her foot stilled it's rocking motion. It wasn't her day so why was Stef asking that.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Stef asked.

"Just sitting." Callie answered, going back to her soothing motions. "It got kinda loud in there and I needed a break."

Stef stayed quiet for a moment before she put an arm around her daughter and leaned back in the swing. "I was born in nineteen-seventy-two." She teased gently.

"What?" Callie asked, laughing in confusion.

"I was born in nineteen-seventy-two, not yesterday." Stef explained. "So why don't you tell me what you're really doing out here."

Callie could see the seriousness on Stef's face and she knew that Stef would be persistent. If there was one thing she was sure about the woman it was that she couldn't bare to see anyone in her family upset or hurt. She would do almost anything to make them happy; even if it meant a struggle for herself.

But Callie didn't want to hurt Stef - especially not today. She loved the woman with all her heart and she wanted to keep her happy just as much. Stef and Lena had given Callie more than she ever imagined and she was so grateful to them for it and admitting her true feelings now just seemed so wrong to Callie.

"Callie." Stef coaxed when she saw the conflict on her daughter's face.

"I'm fine Stef, really." Callie tried persistently. "I'm just tired. Maybe I'm coming down with something." She offered, hoping to divert Stef's attention.

Stef tightened her arm around Callie and rested her head on her daughter's. The two sat in silence for a while as they rocked, creating a gentle breeze that called the warm air. And just when it seemed to Callie that Stef had accepted her answer, she began to speak.

"You know love, it's okay to be honest." Stef began gently, knowing that Callie didn't always do well with emotional conversations. "It's okay to tell me the truth even if it might upset me or make me angry or whatever. I'm your mom and I'm here to help you with whatever you need."

Callie squirmed slightly, uncomfortable with the conversation. She and Stef had gotten very close over the course of the last year. They talked often and Callie had confided in her about several things. It helped that the two were a lot alike and that Callie hoped to be just like Stef someday - strong and independent but loving and nurturing all at once.

"This thing we have only works if we're honest with each other." Stef continued and Callie looked up at her, wondering if the woman could read minds as well.

Stef smiled down at her daughter before planting a kiss on her forehead. "I'm guessing this has something to do with today." Stef said, already sure of her assumption.

Callie nodded slightly, still looking up at Stef for courage and to judge her reaction.

"What's up love?" Stef asked with a gentle smile.

Callie looked away then, trying to find the best way to word her thoughts. This wasn't exactly the nicest thing to say to your mother on mother's day.

"I guess I just feel..." Callie began, trying to find the right words but then changed course when she couldn't. "I know my mom died like seven years ago but I just feel..." She trailed off again, unable to admit her feelings.

"Guilty?" Stef offered for her, already understanding Callie's train of thought.

Callie nodded slowly, her eyes focused on a scratch in the floor as she felt Stef's gaze on her, observing her carefully.

"It's dumb." Callie mumbled as she move ever so slightly away from Stef.

"No, it's not." Stef assured, allowing Callie the space she seemed to need. "Just because she died seven years ago doesn't mean you love or miss her any less." She said.

"I never celebrated Mother's Day with anyone else." Callie finally admitted. "None of those foster mother's ever came close."

Then her head snapped up as she looked at her mother, her eyes filled with worry that she'd offended her. "It's not that I don't love you or love getting to celebrate with you." She quickly clarified, desperate for Stef to understand just how much she loved her.

"Sweetheart, it's okay to miss your mom, to love her and still want her, especially today." Stef assured, her heart aching for the pain her daughter was going through. "It doesn't mean that you love us any less." She paused for a moment before continuing. "But sweetheart, loving us doesn't mean you that you love her any less either." She said softly, knowing that Callie felt torn by this fact.

"I just feel like I replaced her or something today." Callie finally admitted honestly. "And not just because I celebrated Mother's Day with you but because I _wanted_ to." She explained. "I felt like I wasn't a loyal daughter." Tears slowly filled the girls eyes as she finally voiced her concerns.

Stef held Callie even tighter, pulling her back next to her as she tried to figure out just the right thing to say. She would never truly understand just what Callie was feeling and as a result she wasn't sure how to make her feel better. But maybe she couldn't understand what Callie was feeling but she could definitely relate to what Colleen would feel and she used that to help her daughter.

"Baby I honestly can't even imagine how you feel." Stef began. "I have never had to go though even half of what you've been though and I have no idea what it must be like to lose your mother at such a young age. But what I do know is that your mom is not upset with you. She definitely does not think you are replacing her or that you aren't loyal."

Callie turned to Stef then, her face clouded in disbelief for Stef had never even met the woman she was talking about.

"I know this because I am a mom too." Stef clarified. "And if, god forbid, my children are ever left in the position that you were, I hope that you find parents that will love you the way that we love you." She explained clearly. "And I hope that you can love them back as well." She added.

Callie continued to stare at Stef, taking in all that she had said. When Stef put it like that it definitely didn't seem so bad anymore. Colleen wasn't here anymore and while Callie did find two new people to call mom; she definitely didn't love her first mother any less. Maybe there was room in her heart for all three of them.

Stef could see some of the worry and tension disappear from Callie's face as a sense of peace and relief took over. She once again relaxed her arm and resumed the gentle motion of the swing as the two sat in silence, content with how things had turned out.

A few minutes passed and Stef knew that dinner would soon be ready and they would have to head back inside but she just couldn't forget the pain that Callie had felt. "It would take a few weeks but I could probably track down the place they buried your mother and maybe we could go and see her some time; take her some mother's day flowers."

"You'd really do that?" Callie asked in surprise. Sure, this woman had never once made Callie feel like she wouldn't do anything for her but this was different - she was offering to take Callie to see someone who held a huge part of Callie's heart.

"I would love to." Stef assured. "And I would also love to visit the woman who brought our beautiful daughter into the world."


End file.
